I Need You Tonight
by ExLibris3
Summary: She is missing him. One night she decides to tell him. When she gets to his house he's gone. Where is he? Romance. Jibbs. Oneshot.


_**I Need You Tonight**_

_A/N: The lyrics I used are from "A total eclipse of the heart" by Bonnie Tyler. Please review!_

Jenny lay in bed, staring out into the darkness of the room. The red digital numbers of her alarm clock showed 11.17pm. Letting out a deep sigh, she rolled over for what seemed like the twentieth time. She stared at the curtains hanging before the window; light from the streetlights outside was shining in through the structure of the fabric. Sleep just wouldn't come to her. And after a couple of hours, when it finally would wash over her exhausted mind, it brought with it the dreams. Dreams that had her tossing and turning around in bed, until she finally woke up, covered in sweat and entangled in her sheets. Old memories seemed to be entering her dreams lately, erotic experiences with Gibbs was playing in her head during her dark and lonely nights. Why he was there with her in her dreams now, after so many years, she did not now. All she knew was that she was tired of it just being dreams; she wanted it to be real again.

_And I need you now tonight  
And I need you more than ever  
And if you only hold me tight  
We'll be holding on forever  
And we'll only be making it right  
Cause we'll never be wrong together_

Frustrated, she turned over on her back, her gaze sweeping over the dark ceiling. Closing her eyes, she could imagine Gibbs being there with her, smiling at her as she ran her hands over his bare chest.

_We can take it to the end of the line  
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time  
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark  
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks  
I really need you tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight_

She woke with a jolt, gasping and with her arm thrown out across the bed, her hand gripped at the sheet on the empty side of the bed. He had just been there; holding her close, whispering in her ear how much he loved her, how much he needed her, and in the dream she had smiled and felt her own need increase her heartbeats. A chill went up her spine, despite the room was well warmed up, she was freezing. The bed felt so lonely and cold. Pushing the sheets away, she sat up and planted her feet on the rug. Wrapping her arms around her body, she glanced around in the darkness for her robe. She found it in a chair underneath the window. Rising up from the bed, she put one foot before the other, slowly making her way through the cold room, her bare legs shone white in the night, she reached out a hand toward the lilac silk robe lying in a heap in the chair, intending on wrapping it around herself over the matching nightgown she wore. She stopped in the movement, her hand hovering in the air, just inches above the silky material.

_Once upon a time I was falling in love  
But now I'm only falling apart  
There's nothing I can do  
A total eclipse of the heart  
Once upon a time there was light in my life  
But now there's only love in the dark  
Nothing I can say  
A total eclipse of the heart_

She straightened up her back, let the robe lie, and instead pushed the curtain aside, glancing down at the empty street below. A smile flashed across her lips as she remembered all the times she had removed just that curtain, and found Gibbs leaned against his car, a wide smile on his face and looking up at her. A part of her had wished he'd be there, in this very moment, giving her his calm, attractive smile, assuring her she was the one and only woman in his life. A mask of sadness swept over face as she knew that was not true. Not anymore.

_Turnaround, Every now and then I know there's no one in the universe as magical and wondrous as you  
Turnaround, Every now and then I know there's nothing any better and there's nothing that I just wouldn't do  
Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart  
Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart_

She turned abruptly and went back to bed, wrapping the sheets tight around her body; she could feel herself falling apart. Her heart was still beating for him, as hard as it always had done. And it was breaking her apart. Falling to pieces. She was loving him in the darkness of the night, in her dreams. The old memories allowed her to get close to him, feeling him, taste him, and love him. That was a lot more than what reality had to offer. How could that ever change? How could it ever be real again, when she was to blame for her own loneliness?

_And I need you now tonight  
And I need you more than ever  
And if you'll only hold me tight  
We'll be holding on forever  
And we'll only be making it right  
Cause we'll never be wrong together_

No, she needed him immensely, and she could no longer live in denial about that. No "off-the-job" she had told him once, but that concept was not working. It had been clear, he was still interested then, and maybe he still was. Besides, she had left him because she had made a choice, not because she did not love him anymore. And there had been no sign that he had stopped loving her either. If she only could hold him close again, she could convince him to stay. She would admit to him she was wrong, and that she was a fool throwing away what they had had. That she would do. And she would do it right now. She glanced at the alarm clock again, 11.34pm. She smiled. He was probably still up working on that goddamn boat. Jenny threw the sheets off her body and reached for clothing. She found a pair of jeans and a black tank-top she put on, topping it off with a brown short jacket and then she headed down the stairs to grab her car keys and purse.

Pulling up her car on his driveway, she noticed the house lay in darkness. She wasn't surprised, the only thing that had her confused was the fact that his car was not in the driveway, she prayed it was in the garage, it would be embarrassing to learn that when she'd finally decided to make things right between them, he was at another woman's house. Pushing that thought away and settling with the garage theory, she locked her car and walked up to his front door. She tried the handle, it was open. She couldn't help but to smile to herself as she wondered how many times she hadn't told him to keep his door locked. Had he ever listened to her? No.

Carefully making her way through his hallway, she approached the basement door, expecting to see a light coming from there. When she pushed it open, all she found was darkness. Reaching inside for the light switch, she wondered if he maybe had fallen asleep under the boat, or, for once, actually made his way up to the bedroom. As the lights came on, she quickly came to the conclusion he was not in the basement. Frowning slightly, she decided to check his bedroom. Empty. Her other theory about him staying with another woman began to seem more and more believable. That realization cut through her heart, like a dagger thrown at her chest.

Defeated and heartbroken, she sank down on the floor next to the boat in his basement, feeling the tears burn behind her eyelids. She was too late. She couldn't believe this.

_And I need you now tonight  
And I need you more than ever_

Her fingers trailed over the smooth wood, he had always been good working with his hands. Damn, how she missed him! Her hands shook as she picked up an old piece of sandpaper off the floor, she trailed her fingers over its rough surface and remembered all the times she had helped him sand the boat. _'Damn it, Gibbs!' _ Her mind screamed, _'Do you have any idea how much I need you right now? Do you know what I'm willing to do just to have you back in my arms? You've cost me too many tears already, and too many sleepless nights my mind has been occupied with thoughts of you. I can't have it like this anymore, I simply can't take being apart from you anymore,'_ tears rushed down her cheeks, they surprised her, she didn't even know she was having any tears left to cry. She drew in a sharp breath as the shrill ringing of a phone pierced the silence. Her eyes were red from crying, and she wasn't sure if she trusted her voice to carry if she spoke. Nevertheless she rummaged through her purse for her cell phone, found it, and with shaking fingers she answered.

"Hello?" her voice held a slight tremor, just like she had suspected it would.

"Jen?"

She blinked twice, still not quite convinced it was his voice she had heard from the other end.

"Jethro?" she held her breath, her heartbeats were increasing, yet she did not dare to hope it was actually him. But it was indeed his laughter she was hearing through the phone.

"Yes, Jen. You sound surprised," he replied and she closed her eyes, trying to stop more tears from escaping.

"You have no idea what I was just thinking…" she began, but instantly cut herself off, he shouldn't know she was torn up for imagining him with another woman.

"No, I don't. What were you thinking then?" his voice held a slight hint of amusement; he knew she had been close to let her tongue slip, and he wasn't late to tease her for it. '_Always the same old Gibbs,' _she thought.

"Where are you?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"At home," he said and she raised one eyebrow, not able to stop a smile from slipping over her lips.

"Right, of course you are," she replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Because I'm sitting in your basement, and unless you've figured out a way to turn invisible, you sure as hell aren't here," she cast a glance up at the stairs, half-expecting to see him stand there. He wasn't. She leaned her head back against the side of the unfinished boat.

"Explains why you aren't at home," he replied, and in her mind she could see him smiling, though the question on his whereabouts still remained unanswered.

"How did you know I wasn't at home?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm sitting in your bedroom right now," he gave a low chuckle and she felt her cheeks heat up. So he really was in a woman's bedroom after all. Hers.

"And how the _hell _did you get into my house?" she wiped the last remnants of her crying from her cheeks, a smile was put upon her lips.

"You still keep the spare key in the same place," he simply said.

"Right," she laughed. They both fell into silence, she listened to his calm, heavy breathing and wondered if she should tell him what she had come all the way here to say. He beat her to it.

"Jenny," he began, she noticed the change in his tone of voice, he was being serious now. "You're probably wondering what the hell I am doing at your place late at night,"

"No more that you should be wondering what I am doing in your basement," she responded.

"Right, so who goes first?"

"Jethro…" she needed to get this out of her system first, though she had a feeling they were thinking the same thing, she could never be sure when it concerned Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "There's something I need to tell you,"

"I'm listening,"

"I – I thought I was doing the right thing. Leaving you. And then becoming director, which means seeing you again, I had no other choice then to tell you off, there couldn't be anything between us," she began, still not quite sure of how to phrase it.

"You gonna tell me something I don't know?"

"I miss you. You have _no idea_ how much I want you back, Jethro," something had snapped inside of her, and the words were just falling off her lips, "I can't sleep, I keep seeing you in my dreams. My eyes are red from my crying over you. My whole body is aching for you, and I don't know what to do anymore. I came by to let you know that. I need you, Jethro," she trailed off, new tears cruised down her cheeks, she used the back of her hand to wipe them away.

"Jen, if I were there with you, I would have kissed you," she froze in her movements as he spoke.

"What?" she forced out in a whisper. She couldn't believe this. Was it for real? She was not dreaming again, was she? She heard him chuckle on the other end.

"You know, I came by here to take you back, and I wouldn't have left until you did, or killed me,"

"I would never kill you, Jethro," she stated, and then she added, "Well, that actually depends on the situation, but I sure as hell won't kill you tonight," he laughed at her.

"Well that's good to know, then," he replied. She just smiled. She thought about how strange it was that both of them had realized just how much they missed the other on the same night. _'Fate,' _she thought.

"So, you know, we're still as far apart as we would be if we had just stayed at our own places," he pointed out and she laughed.

"I thought for sure you were with another woman. I didn't dare calling you," she confided in him.

"I didn't even want to consider the possibility of you being with someone else. If you were, I still would have convinced you to come back to me," she blushed at his words, but it also made her long even more to be with him. She felt her need grow with every breath she took.

"Are you coming back to me, Jen? Are you willing to give us a second chance?" he asked, needed to know.

"I wish I never left. But yes, I'm more than willing on rebuilding our relationship. I do love you, Jethro," she rose to her feet, already intending on heading to her house, to where he was.

"Good. I love you too. Are you coming here, or am I…" he began; she felt heat rush through her body as he said those three special words.

"I'm already on my way," she smiled and hurried up the stairs, turning off the lights as she left.

_And I need you now tonight  
And I need you more than ever_

Gibbs sat on her bed, still waiting for her. Upon hearing the door open downstairs he smiled and turned around toward the door way just as she came up the stairs, her face red-flustered, but a giving him a huge smile.

"Hello, Jethro," she greeted him as he rose to his feet, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss, their first in many years. And it wouldn't be their last.

_I really need you tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight_

_**The End**_


End file.
